Butch Henderson is the second longest tenured coach in the history of LISD. For 23 years he was at the helm of the Coronado mustang football team,
“I enjoyed the people I enjoyed the school, really believed in what the school was teaching and doing, so I guess it just became a way of life for us and I say us because my family was very much involved.”
When asked if there was a certain memory that stood out in his 23 years both Henderson and former defensive coordinator Mike Meeks told the same story of a Bi-District playoff game in El Paso,
“we call it the west Texas bus adventure I guess they wouldn’t let us drive through New Mexico and we had to back up in Hobbs. We showed up an hour before game time, we didn’t play our best game but we won in overtime”
Henderson won outright or a share of five district titles and made the playoffs nine times, but in 2010 the longtime head coach was reassigned against his wishes.
Mike Meeks who is now the Executive Athletic Director of LISD remembers that day well,
“in fact I was the only one in the office that day when he walked in and told me what had happened and it broke my heart.”
We all know the saying when one door closes another door opens. About four months after being reassigned at Coronado coach Henderson was offered the job at Wayland Baptist.
The transition from high school to college wasn’t easy,
“there’s a big change from coaching in high school to coaching in college not from the x’s and o’s sake but from what you work on and what you do and the recruiting process and the recruiting process concerned me more than anything.”
Coach Henderson is in his fifth season with the pioneers sitting at 7-1 ranked 22nd in the NAIA. He hasn’t forgotten about his time at Coronado but it’s all worked out for the longtime football coach,
“I would not trade any of the memories I had I wouldn’t trade those at all for all we did and all that’s there, but what I’m doing right now is very exciting to me and that’s where I am at this point in life I’m really excited about what I’m doing, where I am I wouldn’t want anything different right now.”
Just as Wayland Baptist is competing for a conference title this weekend. Coronado is looking for its first district championship since 2007 on Thursday night.